1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to modular structures and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a modular housing system and method.
2. Background
Modular structures such as modular housing are areas of increasing demand. Oftentimes, modular housing can be utilized to provide temporary shelter following natural disasters such as hurricanes, fires, flooding, or tornadoes. In addition, the shortcoming of using canvas tents for long-term military deployments may be overcome by the use of modular housing.
Another type of modular structure includes storage enclosures. Sheds and the like are generally used for storing items such as, for example, lawn tools and recreational equipment. Such storage enclosures typically include a set of walls, a door, a floor, and a roof. The walls, roof, or floor may be formed by assembly and attachment of a plurality of separate panels using fasteners such as, for example, screws, bolts, nails, and pins. Known storage enclosures have several disadvantages. For example, many known storage enclosures require a substantial amount of time, labor, planning, and skill to install and uninstall. Additionally, known methods of coupling adjacent panels to form walls or the roof are destructive or invasive to the components themselves, making the sheds difficult to uninstall.
Another type of structure that is of a modular design is a collapsible container, such as those used for shipping containers. In general, shipping containers are used for transporting large items such as, for example, from a manufacturer to a customer. Some shipping containers are collapsible so they may be returned to the manufacturer for reuse. Collapsible shipping containers are often incorporated with a pallet type base. Many collapsible shipping containers comprise a base with side walls pivotally connected to the base.
The prior art has proposed a number of different panel systems, or kits, comprising blow molded or extruded panels and connector members for forming a wide variety of smaller-sized storage structures. These structures are generally suitable to store hand tools and smaller lawn equipment. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, blow-molded plastic components cannot be formed with intricate shapes and/or sharp corners such as those required for integrated connectors. In addition, blow-molded plastic components are hollow and cannot be formed with integral strengthening ribs and gussets made possible with injection molding. Extruded components generally require hollow longitudinal conduits for strength. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process the conduits are difficult to extrude in long sections for structural panels. Thus, they require connectors to achieve adequate height for larger structures. Large structures must also withstand increased wind and snow loads when compared to smaller structures.
There are also commercial considerations that must be satisfied by any viable enclosure system or kit; considerations which are not entirely satisfied by state of the art products. The enclosure must be formed of relatively few component parts that are inexpensive to manufacture via conventional techniques. The enclosure must also be capable of being packaged and shipped in a knocked-down state. In addition, the system must be modular and facilitate the creation of a family of enclosures that vary in size but which share common, interchangeable components. The system must be easily and quickly assembled using minimal hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the system must not require excessive strength to assemble or include heavy component parts.
To provide an inexpensive, reliable, and widely adaptable technique of assembling a modular storage assembly that avoids the above-referenced and other problems, would represent a significant advance in the art.